Ming Zuo

Chapter 259 Musical Instruments
"Zuo Menggeng has met the second sister."

His address made Xu Ruolin coquettish.

"What nonsense?"

Zuo Menggeng accepted it calmly, with a thick skin.

Xu Gandhi's real name was Xu Ruozhi, but after he was baptized as a believer, he always called himself Gandhi, so people close to him also called him Xu (Xu) Gandhi.

"This is a fool."

The scribe with the child was Xu Gandi's husband, Xu Yuandu, a wealthy family member of the Songjiang Mansion.

And that child was their child Xu Zanzeng.After becoming an official in the future, he will help Xu Gandi to preach.

Looking at the majestic and mighty Zuo Menggeng, Xu Gan's first family felt a sense of oppression.

They have always lived in the south of the Yangtze River, and they have seen a lot of the elegance and elegance of the people in the south of the Yangtze River, but they really seldom see such a majestic style in the north.

"The first battle of Zhongheng Qingshuiguan is famous all over the world. It strengthened our Han people's majesty, and there are many praises in the south of the Yangtze River. Everyone says that if all the generals are like Zhongheng, why worry about the Eastern captives not being destroyed."

The literati in the south of the Yangtze River have nothing else, they like to talk and give pointers to the country.

As Daming's only big victory against Hou Jin in recent years, Zuo Menggeng also entered their field of vision.

"It's Elder Sun Ge and Duke Ruogu who planned the plan, and my younger brother is just a blessing."

Zuo Menggeng was modest, which made them very impressed.

Ever since they found out about Xu Ruolin and Zuo Menggeng's marriage, as relatives, they were most worried about whether Xu Ruolin would suffer because of her husband's rudeness when she married a martial artist.

Looking at it now, Zuo Menggeng is only a bit rough on the outside, but there is beauty on the inside, which can be called both civil and military.

Especially Zuo Menggeng is a disciple of Liu Zongzhou, which is even more enviable.

Xu Erjue came over, very unhappy.

"You and sister-in-law are not married yet, so how decent is it to let sister-in-law come here?"

Facing Xu Erjue, Zuo Menggeng never loses.

"I don't know if the decency mentioned by the elder brother is the lord's decency or the sage's decency?"

"you……"

Amidst the strange expressions on everyone's faces, Xu Erjue wanted to vomit blood.

Xu Erjue held back his laughter, and finally understood why his eldest brother was so unwilling to come to Qingqing.

But thinking carefully about Zuo Menggeng's words, it's really true.

They are a Christian family, and they keep their mouths shut about the saint's system, which seems to be very inconsistent.

But my grandfather was an official in the court, and he became an official through the imperial examination, and he followed the way of Confucius and Mencius.

Strange and strange, how should this be calculated?
Zuo Menggeng didn't care about Xu's family falling into deep thought, but greeted Luo Yagu instead.

"Master Luo, why are you here?"

Luo Yagu laughed out loud.

"I sent people to Dengzhou with nothing to do. I found this place to be very good, so I came to communicate. Left, thank you craftsmen. Without them, I would not be able to get this instrument."

Luo Yagu stroked the thing that resembled a piano, his expression was quite excited.

When he got closer, Zuo Menggeng could already see that it was a harpsichord, which originated in Italy.

And Luo Yagu is Italian.

What he didn't expect was that this harpsichord was actually made by craftsmen in Zuozhuang.

However, the craftsmen of Zuozhuang can now make clocks and watches, and there is no technical problem in making harpsichords.

This is Zuo Menggeng's first close contact with the harpsichord. After careful observation, he found that it is very similar to the piano.

At the moment, he asked Luo Yagu how to play the harpsichord.

The memory he inherited was actually a piano master.When he was a military attache counselor in the embassy, ​​he participated in cultural exchange activities and performed on stage.

The harpsichord, like the piano, is a keyboard instrument.

The difference is that the harpsichord is played in pizzicato, while the piano is played in percussion.

Originally busy with military affairs, Zuo Menggeng ignored these things.Seeing the harpsichord today reminded him that there is no piano in the world today.

That being the case...

"Miss Luo, seeing this instrument, I thought of some changes, maybe I can create a more beautiful instrument."

Zuo Menggeng drew the structure diagram of the piano on paper.

Deng Yuhan, Luo Yagu and others came together to study and found that the feasibility was very high, but they also had doubts.

"Left, is there any difference between the violin you designed and the Harpsicold?"

Zuo Menggeng pointed to the structure diagram and said, "This way of pronunciation is better than Hapsecord's sound effect contrast, and the touch of the keyboard is better, and the volume is thicker and more powerful."

He also used a real object for comparison.

"You should have seen the clock in the Daming Temple, that is the sound effect of the knocking method."

As soon as he said that, everyone understood, and they were full of expectations for this new musical instrument.

"Left, I can't wait to see the real thing."

Zuo Menggeng had exactly this intention.

"Then leave this matter to Priest Luo."

Luo Yagu gladly accepted the order and fell in love with it more and more.

Deng Yuhan's expression on Zuo Menggeng's face was not very good.

"Left, what did you say to these great Confucian scholars? These days they have been pestering me, asking many outrageous things. Do you know? These things are very taboo in our church."

Of course Zuo Menggeng knew what he was talking about.

In Jining before, Zuo Menggeng read his articles to Liu Zongzhou and others, allowing them to understand the similarities between the Western Renaissance and the current Ming Dynasty's retrospective thinking.

In particular, it focuses on the religious reformation in the West and its subsequent influence.

Liu Zongzhou and others are very interested in this aspect, because they can learn from it for the current Confucianism reform.

As a Western missionary, Deng Yuhan became the only window for these people to understand relevant knowledge.

But as a missionary of the Holy See, even though Deng Yuhan was not interested in the doctrine, he did not have a good impression of Protestantism, and even regarded it as heresy.

But there is no way, people have to bow their heads under the eaves.

He still told Liu Zongzhou and others about the origin, process and current situation of the European Reformation.

What Deng Yuhan is most worried about is whether he will be punished once what he said is learned by the Chinese branch of the Society of Jesus.

Zuo Menggeng had to come forward at this time to reassure him.

"Mr. Deng, you are absolutely safe here now. Please remember that you are under my protection. Just like the Elector of Saxony protected Martin Luther, no one can hurt you. I promise you that if Jesus It will be bad for you, then it will have no room to survive in China."

Deng Yuhan had no choice but to smile wryly, he didn't expect Zuo Menggeng to know such allusions.

But Zuo Menggeng's guarantee was so beneficial that he even did not hesitate to use force against the Chinese branch of the Society of Jesus for his sake.

And with this guarantee, Deng Yuhan suddenly found that the sea and the sky seemed to be vast in front of him, and he could roam freely.

In the evening, at Zuo's house, Mrs. Huang personally arranged a banquet for Xu's family.

Don't look at Xu Erjue choking on seeing Zuo Menggeng, but facing Huang's, he is much more gentle and refined, which also explains the purpose of this trip.

"The ancestor of the family joined the cabinet a few days ago, showing his grand plans. When he talked about the marriage between the younger sister and Zhongheng, he earnestly entrusted him not to delay. The family's dignity respected the teachings and asked my brothers and sisters to come to discuss this matter with my aunt."

The calendar dispute between Xu Guangqi and Wei Wenkui has long since ended, and Xu Guangqi has won a complete victory.

Because of this, Xu Guangqi officially ascended to the cabinet to pay homage to the prime minister. He was a scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion, a second assistant to the cabinet, and a very powerful minister.

For the Xu family, this should be a great joy.

Xu Guangqi thought of Double Happiness, and hoped that Zuo Menggeng and Xu Ruolin could get married as soon as possible.

Xu Ji got his father's order in Songjiang Mansion, so he sent Xu Erjue and Xu Erjue to come to Qing Dynasty to discuss marriage.

It happened that Xu Gandi went home to visit his relatives, and he hadn't seen his sister for a long time, so he came with his family.

Speaking of marriage, Huang is also anxious.

"My lord wrote in a letter a few days ago, specifically asking that you must not neglect your family in marriage. I don't know what your family wishes, but I, Zuo, will do my best."

For the Zuo family, it was definitely a great joy to marry the granddaughter of the cabinet minister.

Although Zuo Liangyu couldn't come back, he solemnly ordered that the Zuo family must use all their strength to make arrangements.

But he thought wrong.

Xu Erjue said: "My family, Xu, believes in the Lord God, and should not be extravagant or enjoy. According to my ancestors, the marriage is just a matter of propriety."

Xu Guangqi is a high-ranking official, but the Xu family is very simple, and they are all devout believers, so they don't intend to be extravagant.

"This……"

Huang was a little confused.

One is the master's order, and the other is the meaning of the Xu family. She doesn't know how to handle it.

At this time, Zuo Menggeng had to take responsibility.

"Eldest brother, second brother, no matter what, marriage is a major event, and it is related to Ruolin's life's happiness. Even if it is not a big deal, there must still be some ceremonies. How about this, when the weather warms up in March, I will accompany Ruolin to the south and personally serve her. How about Liuli coming to your door?"

After discussing it with Xu Erjue, Xu Erjue and Xu Erjue both felt that this idea was good.

"It's just right, let Jiayan have a look at Zhongheng's demeanor, so as not to miss him all the time."

In this marriage, Xu Ji and his wife are the most depressing ones.

It was obviously their daughter's marriage, but from the beginning to the end, they had never seen Zuo Menggeng's appearance.I just respect Xu Guangqi's meaning and have been making arrangements.

Now that Zuo Menggeng took the initiative to ask to come to the door, it would certainly relieve the depression of Xu Ji and his wife.

(End of this chapter)